There shouldn't be any illusions about what the GTS is. It's a sub 200cc scooter housed in a maxi scooter guise, in many countries it might not even be considered highway legal. I still find that when passing by lorries or areas where u experience a lot of crosswinds there will be still a fair amount of wind buffeting. Read sometime back in a foreign forum that it has something to do with the wind shield design. But no real complaints as i still feel that it provides a fair amount of weather protection, one area that the GTS scores a favorite with me! When in light rain u can still get to your destination with relatively dry pants provided u don't have to stop at the stop-look-go too many times! LOL.
Handling wise it's acceptable, as with scooters with its rear heavy weight distribution, once u commit to a line of entry into a corner, u have to see it through and don't expect to switch lines on a dime as u would with your kapchais! The GTS at 168kg (correct me if i'm wrong) is a heavy weight contributing to its more stable ride at speeds but its small tyres & weight distribution might find u wavering a little when u come to a rolling stop; this is where u show off your prowess as a tight rope walker!
Power wise the GTS displays strong linear acceleration & would put u ahead of the rest of the pack at the lights. Pulls up to 90km/h in a smooth linear curve before u feel the 172cc lump under you gets a little asthmatic & settles into a more comfortable pace of 100 to 110km/h where it could cruise all day comfortably. Performance might vary according to rider's weight, condition of bike & need for speed etc. I think i might have also contributed a fair bit to the rolling inertia of the bike! For me cruising between 100 to 110km/h is quite the norm, 120km/h is when i feel reckless & 130km/h is when i wring the hell out of my bike & really punishing it!
Still wouldn't trade my GTS for another bike until i find a more worthy replacement. Still think at its price its the best money can offer for a city commuter with plenty of storage, some road presence on account of its size & bright LEDs. So until the GTS 250 shows up on our roads i'd stick to my 200. Todate i've done up to 18k kms on my bike & the engine is still trouble free (read somewhere that SYM had heavy collaborations with Honda in the past, perhaps that's the reason the engine is rock solid!). And the GTS almost cost me nothing to maintain it except for its regular services & the wear & tears. I find the GTS a very competent & comfortable city bike, just don't expect it to behave like a rowdy, loud & brash juvenile and it'll serve u well! LOL!
